About
Techniques in Home Winemaking is a resource for home winemakers looking for information or help on making great wines, and to share that knowledge with fellow winemakers. This resource is based and builds on my book by the same title. Much of my experience is derived from extensive literature search as well as from my experience both as a home and a commercial winemaker. Click here if interested in ordering a signed copy of my book.
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#1 by Daniel Hogue - April 9th, 2009 at 19:05
This is really an excellent book–builds on my base to really go to the next level. Highly recommended.
#2 by Daniel - April 14th, 2009 at 12:15
Daniel,
Thank you for your recommendation.
I’d be interested to hear from you and your winemaking. You can also sign up on my web site at http://www.TechniquesinHomeWinemaking.com to receive my newsletter.
Cheers,
Daniel
#3 by Eric Edwards - June 23rd, 2009 at 19:41
I am part of Cagora’s apprentice program and I’m focussing on home winemaking so your newletter will be a handy referrence. I have signed up for it and will look forward to the first issue.
Please visit my Cagora site and join the community there if you see fit
#4 by Karen (Pediascribe) - April 16th, 2009 at 08:19
Wondering if this book is available for presale. We’ll be starting our first kit in about a week and I’m a bit nervous about the whole thing. Looks like a great book to use as reference.
(found your site through facebook, btw)
#5 by Daniel - April 16th, 2009 at 10:33
Yes, it is. Sounds like you need it. I’ll be providing ordering instructions.
#6 by John - April 24th, 2009 at 09:08
I just heard about your book and was wondering what type of advice it offers when homemade wine is too acidic or taste like cognac??? LOL
#7 by Daniel - April 28th, 2009 at 20:12
Taste like cognac!? Not sure what this means (style vs alcohol??) – maybe you should just drink it as is. If it is too acidic, try reducing acidity by one of the various methods I describe in my book, depending on your situation. It is only slightly acidic, try adding some sugar. Do bench trials with various rates of additions and see what works best. Invite some friends to help you – friends whose palate (and opinions) you trust. It’s amazing what a little sugar will do to tame that acidity.
#8 by Andrew P - April 25th, 2009 at 23:28
I just bought your Techniques… book and am working my way through it now. I’m certain that I will pick up useful info from it, even though I’ve been making wine from kits for several years now. I’m writing now because, contrary to all the marketing hype and other comments I see equating wine kits to commercial wines, that has generally not been my experience (unless we’re defining “commercial wines” differently as even commercial wines show a wide range of quality).
I buy only premium kits e.g. Wine Kitz Elite Vintners or Spagnol’s En Primeur. I’m not saying that the end-product from these kits isn’t palatable, but it lacks a “wow” factor that would make me proud to say “I made this”. My biggest complaint is that red wines from these kits generally seem to lack “character”. Body and color are OK, but they have little or no nose: all I can smell is oak, alcohol, and possibly other organic compounds, but none of the essence of the fruit. This is despite following the kit instructions to a T (which you advise people to do in one of your tips), and allowing plenty of time for aging. The only exception to this I’ve ever experienced was a Cellar Classic Rosso Grande, which had a beautiful nose and flavor after 8 months of aging, and this was unfortunately a friend’s wine and not mine
Seriously, aside from this exception, I can buy a bottle of Naked Grape for 8 bucks, and have a more satisfying wine than what I get from these kits, which makes the value of cost/labor combination in making my own wine questionable. I guess I’m hoping that your book will provide suggestions for what can be done to improve the quality of wine from kits despite the fact that these kits are supposedly manufactured to balance all the components properly, and the instructions are intended to be closely followed.
From reading one of your articles, I’m thinking one of the prime candidates for experimentation is different yeast strains, as all the kits I buy seem to come with the same generic packet of S. Bayanus. Do you have any other suggestions? I’ve looked through your troubleshooting pointers and haven’t found anything there that directly speaks to what I’m describing.
Best,
Andrew
#9 by Daniel - April 28th, 2009 at 20:24
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for your note, though I feel frustration … please don’t give up. Winemaking is all about patience. I agree that many kits (or wines from juice or grapes for that matter) can taste very grapey when young. In general, personally, I feel that wines are much too young; we are not a patient group we home winemakers. Give your wines time; they will improve tremendously with some aging. Some of my wines – because of the style I craft – don’t come around for 3+ years. And I’m constantly impressed by some of the wines that I taste at competitions, some of which go on to win GOLD. Please don’t give up. This is supposed to be a fun hobby; it shouldn’t be about making wine for a lesser cost than Naked Grape, Yellow Tail, or whatever – that should be a secondary objective. As you gain experience, you’ll gain confidence and will want to try different techniques from the kits’ instructions, and turn that wine into something great, perhaps even superb. I don’t have any other advice at this time as you seem to be doing everything right. Experiment though. Try different kits, different techniques, be patient. And I’ll even make you an offer. If you want to send me some samples, I can taste them and give you my impressions along with some recommendations on how to improve them – tricks you won’t find in the instructions.
Thanks again for sharing your story with me.
Daniel
#10 by Andrew P - April 29th, 2009 at 00:43
Thank you for your reply. I will persevere and try a few things before “giving up”.
Just a note though, my main complaint isn’t that the red wine i make is too “grapey”, but that too often, it has no aroma besides alcohol and oak. If this is a matter of insufficient aging, I can confirm that none of my wines have aged for as long as 3 years, mainly because I’ve been told that kit wines (at least the ones I’ve made so far) might peak at around 18 months, at the latest, and start declining afterward.
I currently only have a single wine that has aged long enough (at least I think it’s been long enough – over a year) that I could potentially send a sample of. If you think that’s long enough, I would be pleased to send a sample in return for any comments and advice you might have. I would just need to know the specifics of how much to send and where. Otherwise, I can wait longer for it to age before sending. Please let me know one way or the other.
Thank you again!
Andrew
#11 by Daniel - April 29th, 2009 at 07:31
Hi Andrew,
Ok. Let’s work together here and see how we can help you. BTW, I wouldn’t recommend waiting 3 years for wine to age; that was meant as an example of how long it can take at times, and that was a grape wine. For kit wines, yes, 12-18 months for reds should be plenty. Follow this link http://www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com/home%20winemaking%20analytical%20services.html#shipping for instructions to submit your sample. I’ll then take a look, I mean a sip, and see what we can do.
Do you read WineMaker magazine? I suggest you take a look at the issue where award winners are annouonced. There, you will find the kit names that have won in previous competitions. You can try those. You may specifically want to try one which wins consistently.
Daniel
#12 by Andrew P - May 1st, 2009 at 18:30
Hi Daniel,
OK. I presume that what I would want based on our previous exchange would be the “sensorial analysis”? I frankly don’t think this wine justifies a full-blown analysis. I just want to get a knowledgeable opionon on what’s wrong with it, and how I can maximize the chances of getting better wine from future kits.
I will have a look at winemaker magazine for ideas of which kits to buy in the future. Can you confirm though that the award-winning kits were prepared by exactly following the instructions that come with the kit, or were liberties taken by the individual winemakers according to experience? THis is someting that I’m getting mixed signals on: in some cases, I see advice to follow instructions exactly, and then, the same author might say that you can reduce the amoung of finings used (for example) by lengthening the timeframe of the winemaking, and this obviously contradicts the kit instructions. AS an example, this type of confusion appears in Tim Vanderbilt’s writing on the winemaker web site (no slight intended to Tim).
Best,
Andrew
#13 by John - May 17th, 2009 at 10:44
Need some advice. I bought some imported sangiovese juice in March (It was refrigerated for several months) and it seemed to already had fermented. The label stated that the BRIX measurd at 21, but by the time I measured it, it was at 11. I added sugar to bring the brix up to by 3. (Total Brix – Label + 3 = 24). The wine finished fermenting nicely and after the second Racking specific gravity was at .996. However, when tasted it seemed flat. I tested TA and Ph, thinking that maybe the acid was too low. TA = .65, & Ph = 3.72, but the wine is still flat. How can I add flavor to this wine (It tastes like water – Flat)? Will grape concentrate help or some type of conditioner? I am lost.
#14 by Daniel - May 18th, 2009 at 10:48
Hi John,
First, always buy refrigerated juice from a reliable source that has quick inventory turnover because, as you have witnessed, juice can start fermenting even at cold temperatures. There ARE yeasts capable of starting fermentation at cold temperatures. And you also don’t know what yeast type started the fermentation, and so the results are totally unpredictable, such as poor aroma and flavor profile as you might be experiencing. The juice really needs to be frozen if it is to be stored for a prolonged period of time.
Now you mention that the wine is flat and that you want to add flavor, and that the two are somehow related: The two problems are not related, but let’s look at each.
A TA of .65% is not unusual and not a cause of concern, but it should be in balance with everything else. In your case it doesn’t seem to be, so try adding tartaric acid in small increments until you get something you like. I am however concerned about the pH; it’s a little higher than I would like. It’s not a major concern – and it may even be the original pH at harvest – but it may also indicate the presence of spoilage organisms because of the premature fermentation. You’ll need to protect the wine with sulfite to avoid any further microbial problems. I recommend approx 70 ppm of free SO2.
As for flavor, you get what you get, so to speak. First and foremost, it’s in the grapes/juice. I don’t know the quality of the juice you bought, and so I can’t comment more specifically. I would however give the wine the chance to age awhile longer – in addition to my other recommendations below – to give aromas and flavors a chance to develop.
To add mouthfeel and flavors, try adding oak (using oak cubes, for example) – that should do some amazing tricks to aromas, flavors and mouthfeel. If you go this route, you should get enough tannins to get the right mouthfeel, otherwise try adding some enological tannins or better yet, try adding gum arabic.
Another option is to blend the wine with another batch that you have or will be making, but only if the sangiovese wine is sound – you don’t want to spoil the blending wine. The only problem with grape concentrate is the residual sugar; the wine will not be dry, which will be a problem in terms of balance if you leave the acidity low, and the wine could potentially restart fermenting unless you stabilize it properly with sulfite and sorbate.
Hope this helps. Good luck
Daniel
#15 by Ron - May 18th, 2009 at 11:45
First, I bought your book a few years ago, and it is an invaluable resource to have in my home winery. I’ve used it many times already.
Had a question for you…I made a Sangiovese out of fresh local grapes last year, and am about ready to bottle it after aging it over the winter and spring.
I did not get a lot of color extraction, so the wine looks more like a dark rose than a “red wine”. It tastes fine, but I think I am going to try and make it an “off dry” wine, rather than fully dry.
I see that many local wine shops sell red or white juice concentrate, at 68 degrees brix. My question is, is there a calculator available, or perhaps even a formula I can use to determine how much of this concentrate to use to raise the sugar level of 5 gallons of finished wine to say 1/2% to 1% sugar, if you consider the present hydrometer reading is .994?
#16 by Daniel - May 18th, 2009 at 12:16
Hi Ron,
Thank you for your message and kind words. BTW, there is an updated version (May 2008) of my book that is over 500 pages. There is a ton of additional information from previous editions.
If you think you will like an off-dry Sangiovese, sure, go for it, but don’t use that solely to fix color (although adding concentrate will improve color). And remember to do bench tests before adjusting the whole batch – VERY IMPORTANT.
At your current SG, your Brix is at approx -1.3 and essentially zero residual sugar (you may still have 0.2%+/-, but assume zero). So for every 1% w/v of residual sugar (RS) you want, you need to add 10 g per liter of wine, or approx 38 g per gallon, or approx 1.4 oz per gallon. You can then scale additions accordingly for 5 gallons and for whatever RS you want.
And 68 deg Brix is about 92%w/v sugar. That means that there is 92 g of sugar in 100 mL of concentrate.
So if you want to get 1% RS in your 5-gal (20-L) batch, you need to add 200 g, or 200×100/92=217 mL of concentrate.
Hope this helps.
Daniel
#17 by Ron - May 18th, 2009 at 12:23
Thanks Daniel…this is exactly what I needed!
And I’ll pick up an updated copy of the book ASAP!
Ron
#18 by Daniel - May 18th, 2009 at 12:26
You can always order a copy from me from my website if you want a signed copy. Unfortunately, I can’t beat the price from Amazon and the likes.
#19 by s hardman - May 27th, 2009 at 13:34
I make wine from fresh juice and when finnised sometimes it`s too dry,how best to sweeten just enough to make it more fruity and not so harsh tasteing?
thanks
#20 by Daniel - May 27th, 2009 at 13:46
I assume you want to balance acidity although you mention “harsh”. The latter refers to mouthfeel and tannins.
Prepare a 10% sugar solution and then perform bench trials. Gather, say, 6 glasses and pour the same amount of wine into each. The first glass is the “control,” i.e. you won’t be adding any sugar to it. In the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth glasses, pour a known volume of sugar solution into each, for example, the equivalent of 2 g/L, 5, 7, 10, and 15, or whatever is easier to work with for you. Taste each glass and see what works for your taste. Say, for example, 5 g/L doesn’t quite cut it but 7 g/L is too much, then try 6 g/L. When you reach a balanced wine that you enjoy, you can then add the required amount of sugar (as a solution) to your whole batch.
If the wine is also harsh (as in too much tannins), you can try a PVPP fining.
Good luck.
Daniel
#21 by s hardman - June 6th, 2009 at 16:48
Would using Aribinol help..where is it available for purchase?
thanx
s hardman
#22 by s hardman - June 6th, 2009 at 16:51
#23 by Daniel - June 6th, 2009 at 17:40
First step is to tame the harshness with a PVPP fining. Then perform some bench tests on the fined wine using various rates of addition of Arabinol to see how that improves the wine. You can find Arabinol at Presque Isle Wine Cellars at http://www.piwine.com.
#24 by s hardman - June 7th, 2009 at 11:38
please explain PVPP finning,have looked all thru your book and didn`t find any mention.
For Aribnol is there anywhere in Toronto or Niagara area that would have any?
thanx
#25 by Daniel - June 7th, 2009 at 11:48
It’s explained on p. 265 of the 2008 edition (sounds like you have an older edition; you’ll want the new one – it’s over 500 pages of really great info, tips, secrets, advice, etc.). PVPP is a synthetic polymer that is very effective in precipitating polyphenols. The advantage is that settling occurs very quickly – typically, 1-2 hours. A good winemaking supply store should carry PVPP powder, which you add directly to wine. I don’t know who sells it in small volumes in the GTA or Niagara region. We buy it by the gallon from AM Ingredients (905-332-1374) in Burlington. If you’re ever in the area (Niagara-on-the-Lake), please let me know and we can give you some.
#26 by s hardman - May 27th, 2009 at 14:19
Daniel thanks
doI need to add sorbate? if so how much?
#27 by Daniel - May 27th, 2009 at 14:22
Good point. Yes. Add sulfite to bring FSO2 to at least 35 ppm, or higher depending on pH, and 1 to 2 g of sorbate per 10 L (2.5 gal) of wine.
#28 by Jason - June 18th, 2009 at 17:20
Daniel,
I purchased your book and find it very comprehensive. Well done! I have a couple of questions:
First, can you suggest a few vineyards in the Niagara area that sell small quantities of grapes to home wine makers and who don’t mind amateurs testing the grapes on site as you describe? I’d be particularly interested in cabernet sauvignon.
Second, can you suggest a few dealers of new and/or used home wine making equipment in the GTA and/or Niagara? This might be too broad of a question, but I’d appreciate any suggestions you might have
Thanks in advance.
Jason
Jason
#29 by Daniel - June 19th, 2009 at 07:29
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your message.
You can find a comprehensive list of growers who sell to home winemakers at http://www.grapegrowersofontario.com/thecellar/buy_supplies.html. There, you will find listings for Watson’s and Vines to Vintages for supplies and equipment. I don’t know who sells used equipment. What are you looking for specifically?
Daniel
#30 by Terry Mahoney - October 12th, 2009 at 12:25
Hi Daniel;
I’m just getting ready to start making wine again after a 30 year hiatus. Your book is amazing and will be invaluable to me. thank you. And now my question. Is there a similar site for Okanagan grape suppliers? TIA
terry
#31 by Daniel - October 12th, 2009 at 13:08
Hello Terry and thank you for your message and kind words.
I’m not familiar with the BC home winemaking landscape but I suggest you contact the BC Amateur Winemakers Association (BCAWA) at http://www.bcawa.ca/.
Good luck.
Daniel
#32 by s hardman - June 19th, 2009 at 17:26
I have a question ,when adding banana to a berry wine must you boil first? can it be added chopped to the other ingredients?
Admit have added when making vermouth and also to an apple wine.
Thanx..Sophie
#33 by Daniel - June 20th, 2009 at 11:04
Yes, you need to boil and simmer the bananas for 20-30 mins.
#34 by Wensail - July 4th, 2009 at 00:57
Daniel
I bought your book it was a good read and now a resource in my “cellar”. When I compared it with the book out of Atlantic Canada Kit winemaking 101 http://www.clubvin.com/BrewTips.html
the book promotes no extra air to be introduced. Many kits ask for splashing and introducing extra oxygen this book asks for none. Your book did not really give me the answer. Let me know what you think.
Thanks for having a blog.
Whensail
#35 by Daniel - July 4th, 2009 at 11:39
Hello Whensail.
That’s an excellent point.
The need to splash wine for the sole purpose of introducing oxygen into the wine is recommended for softening tannins in reds to make wines more approachable in their youth. The aeration also accelerates aging to make the wine exhibit a more fruity character – it is akin to decanting a bottle of wine before serving. The instructions say to do that because that’s the style the kit manufacturer has intended.
If you want to preserve the full-bodiedness of the wine and cellar for a longer period, then you can forego splashing.
The technique is usually not recommended in whites as it can hasten oxidation is not done correctly or under the right conditions.
The other reason for splashing is to help CO2 gas dissipiate – this has nothing to do with introducing oxygen.
Thank you for the feedback. I have noted this as a clarification to add in a future edition of the book.
You may also want to consider my other publication, Techniques in Home Winemaking (http://www.TechniquesInHomeWinemaking.com) which goes into a lot more details about the benefits of aerating must and wine, and to accomplish it effectively.
Cheers,
Daniel
#36 by Sophie hardman - September 10th, 2009 at 16:58
We expect to be in the Niagara on The Lake area on Wednesday 16th and you mentioned being able to get some PVPP from you ,is that still possible?
Thanx Sophie
#37 by Vince - September 23rd, 2009 at 15:42
Hi Daniel
Great website. I just signed up for the newletter which I am eager to read. I have been making wine from fresh grapes for many years and am a great proponent of using Niagara Peninsula grapes. I just have two questions:
How do you see the 2009 vintage in Niagara shaping up? The summer was not the greatest on record, but things seem to have turned around in September.
Also, I have a 2007 Cab Sauv that was fermented on the skins for two weeks followed by bulk aging in glass demi-johns with oak added in the form of oak spirals. Although it is two years old, the wine still seems to carry a woody taste… and I mean woody, not the vanilla flavour that is usally associated with oak. Do you have any suggestions on how to remove? Perhaps some sort of fining?
Thanks,
Vince.
#38 by Daniel - September 23rd, 2009 at 17:15
Hi Vince.
Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. I must admit though that I’m behind on my plans to do a newsletter and also providing more content on my website. The winery is keeping me busy.
The 2009 vintage in Niagara was not looking promising but the last 3 weeks of sunny weather helped tremendously. Sugar levels are climbing and we should have a good harvest; definitely not a 2005 or 2007 vintage, but these will be pleasant, easy-drinking and early-drinking wines.
As for your wine, obviously you left the oak in for too long. You really need to taste the wine every so often to decide when to pull the oak out. You’re dealing with oak aromas here, and not tannins, and so, fining won’t help. The only solution really is to blend it with some other non-oaked wine until you find the aromas to your liking. I really hate to recommend any other treatment, which would compromise the quality of the wine.
Good luck.
Daniel
#39 by Vince - October 8th, 2009 at 13:20
Daniel,
The weather has turned quite cool and rainy for October and I was debating whether to source Pinot Noir or Merlot. I was just wondering how the sugar levels are coming along on these two varietals.
Thanks!
#40 by Daniel - October 8th, 2009 at 13:31
Hi Vince,
Do you live in the Niagara region? It’s hard to make a general statement as every vineyard is different. I don’t grow Pinot Noir, and so I can’t say, but I suspect that it is probably behind schedule. At Maleta, everything is well behind schedule, but our Merlot is ahead of the pack at about 19 Brix. It might not be another couple of weeks before we harvest. It’s been a tough growing season. My advice is to find a reputable grower, go check out the grapes, taste the berries, measure the Brix, and then decide when to buy.
Good Luck,
Daniel
#41 by Vince - October 8th, 2009 at 14:48
Daniel,
Thanks for the quick response. I live in Vaughan, but have been making the trek to Niagara annually for many years.
It’s good to know that your Merlot is already at 19Brix. The grower I spoke to is in the Four Mile Creek area and has vines that are quite old. How important is the age of a vine with respect to wine quality? Does it much matter after say 10 years?
Given the amount of rain we’ve experienced in October, the challenge will be to get maximum colour and flavour extraction from the grape skins. My thinking is to bleed some juice off immediately after crush and later ferment as a rose. Then cold soak the must for about 4 to 5 days under 50ppm SO2 before innoculation and follow this by MLF after a number of rackings. This time I’m planning to use oak chips or spirals, but to a lesser extent than previously.
Do you have any other suggestions on how to get a “big” wine?
Vince
#42 by Daniel - October 8th, 2009 at 14:57
The age of the vines does matter, assuming that the vines and soil are well maintained and well nourished. In general, the older the vines, the lower the yield but higher quality, i.e. more complexity on the aromas and flavors.
Yes. This year the challenge is phenolic and flavor extraction. Bleeding & cold soak are good tricks to increase concentration, esp. with this vintage.
You should also consider the use of yeast derivatives and enzymes to get more body, more color, and a more stable wine. I recommend OptiRED, Lallzyme EX, ColorX, ColorPro.
Good luck.
Daniel
#43 by Vince - October 15th, 2009 at 11:18
Hey Daniel,
I am going to the Virgil area to pick up some grapes in the next week or so and I had two quick questions:
Is your book available at the winery?
Would I be able to bring a bottle of wine for your sensory evaluation service and pay the fee there in person?
Many thanks
#44 by Daniel - October 15th, 2009 at 11:58
See my email
#45 by Rod - October 22nd, 2009 at 11:43
Hi Daniel,
I’m in the process of making some gamay wine. I’m going for the “13th street style”, not the beaujolais style. I cold soaked for three days, inoculated with rc212, and added a minimal amount of ColourPro. I’m wondering if an addition of OptoRED is nessesary? Is this too much playing around? Brix today are at 14. Got the must from watsons, 21 brix, 3.13 ph, 7.1 acid. I apprieciate your advise!!
#46 by Daniel - October 22nd, 2009 at 12:13
Hi Rod,
Personally, I would go with ColorX for a full-bodied style Gamay. The OptiRED is not necessary but probably worthwhile trying given the fact that this is a weak vintage.
Good luck.
Daniel
#47 by Ron F - November 13th, 2009 at 06:06
Hi Daniel,
Have both editions of your book, and just read your very informative article on wine stabilization in Winemaker Mag…good stuff, and timely for me.
I just finished primary fermentation of a Cab franc, with grapes procured from a local grower. Prior to fermentation, my sugar was fine, but the acid was a little low (5.7) and the pH was high (3.9). I adjusted the acid with tartaric up to 7.5 to help both the low acid and the high pH, and commenced with fermentation.
After pressing off the skins and prior to inoculating with a ML culture, I retested evertything, and while the acid was still in good shape (6.8), the pH was still high, around 3.83. I’m concerned about the long term stability of the wine at this point, for obvious reasons. And also the reasons as to why the pH would still be this high, with my acid level at perfectly reasonable levels?
Is there anything else I can do pH-wise at this point? I am obviously going to dose it with the appropriate amount of SO2 upon completion of MLF, and I really don’t like to sterile filter my reds (I think they lose too much). However, I will filter it if you think that is the only way to save it.
Thoughts?
Ron
#48 by Daniel - November 13th, 2009 at 10:27
Hi Ron,
First, make sure your pH meter is re-calibrated with fresh solutions if you have not done it recently. All too often I get panicky winemakers emailing me about weird pH results measured with uncalibrated meters.
Sounds like adding acid doesn’t impact the pH much. The juice probably had a lot of potassium or other elements from the soil.
You are right to be concerned with the long-term stability of the wine, but if it smells and tastes great, why mess with it?
You could try some bench tests with phosphoric acid. That will reduce the pH without affecting the TA much, but it might affect the taste. Again, do bench tests first. And again, why mess with the wine if it tastes good.
Just sulfite the wine adequately to protect it.
BTW, I have tasted many great wines at a pH of 3.9.
Sterile filtration would only be a partial solution as the high pH would also affect the chemical (eg color) stability, not just microbiological.
And BTW, I’m all for filtration. Be sure to read the Feb-Mar 2010 issue of WineMaker where I discuss the pros/cons of filtration.
You should see filtration as your buddy, not your enemy!!
Good luck.
Daniel
#49 by Ron - November 13th, 2009 at 11:45
Thanks Daniel…I agree with you. The wine tastes great so far, and has a wonderful nose. I’m not about to start messing with phosphoric acid. I’ll just ensure I keep it sulfited and go from there. Wine never usually lasts too long around my house anyway! :=)
Thanks again for the advice…as always, it is much appreciated.
Ron
#50 by Daniel - November 13th, 2009 at 11:47
Wine that doesn’t last long is a sure sign that it’s good wine.
#51 by John - November 15th, 2009 at 21:56
I am looking for a simple software program to help my Father who has about 400 wines and would like to track al aspects of the wine making from the vineyard to bottling…any ideas.
#52 by Daniel - November 16th, 2009 at 10:06
Wow! That’s a lot of wine to track. I don’t know of any s/w specifically geared to home winemaking with a price to match. But you can look up the following who specialize in commercial winemaking tracking s/w, but you can expect these to be expensive.
The Winemaker’s Database – http://www.wmdb.com
Wine Management Systems – http://www.WineManagementSystems.com
Orion Wine Software – http://www.OrionWineSoftware .com
Cheers,
Daniel
#53 by Neil - December 4th, 2009 at 12:05
Hi Daniel,
I’m a relatively new home winemaker. This year I am making two reds from French-American hybrid grapes (Luci Kuhlman (13 gallons) and Leon Millot (7 gallons)). They have finished alc fermentation and MLF after an initial 4 day cold soak. My plan is to combine these and age in a 55 liter two year-old Hungarian oak barrel after cold stabilization. Initial Brix was about 22-23, so I did very little sugar addition.
I tend to find that these grapes lack some weight. The oak should help a bit, but I’d like to try some other experiments. Do you have any experience with Biolees or gum arabic? Do you think I should try these on a small batch? Any other suggestions? I’m looking for something medium bodied, i.e. not a monster Cab.
#54 by Daniel - December 6th, 2009 at 18:59
Hi Neil,
I have a lot of experience with gum arabic. I use it often to add more mouthfeel. Try adding Arabinol (20% dilute solution) at a rate of 1 mL per liter of wine and then adjust up/down as you like. Do this on small samples first and then treat the whole batch once you have determined your preferred rate of addition.
Good luck.
Daniel
#55 by Alan Butler - December 5th, 2009 at 09:57
Hi Daniel. Thanks for your first book which I bought from you at the AWO convention I think in 2000. I was looking to download the progress chart on page 249 from the Vehicule website but can’t find the link??
I now live in Port Hope and earlier in November we took the five hour round trip to pick up the last juice Donna Lailey will supply to amateurs. Do you have any idea of when Prince Edward County might be in a position to supply us home winemakers ? Thanks.
#56 by Daniel - December 6th, 2009 at 19:04
Hi Alan,
You can download the log chart from my website. Here’s the link …
http://techniquesinhomewinemaking.com/attachments/File/Log%20Chart%20(Techs)%20Web%20version.pdf
I don’t know if anyone in PEC is selling grapes/juice to home winemakers. Your best bet is to contact the Grape Growers of Ontario; they should be able to help.
Cheers,
Daniel
#57 by AlbanyCellarRat - February 18th, 2010 at 19:02
Daniel some members at the westchester amateur winemakers club had some questions regarding your book. I have your book and think it would make a great addition to anyone’s winemaking library. Our questions concern your brix/alcohol conversion charts in your book. Your charts are not consistent with charts found in other books on this subject. I invite your response and ask that you officially answer on our site. Please answere here:
http://www.westchesterwinemakers.com/2010/02/16/brix-chart/#comments
#58 by Daniel - February 22nd, 2010 at 08:38
Ah! The frustrations of Brix measurements; it’s right up there with SO2. Yes, my tables are different from SOME books. You’ll be hard-pressed to find two books with the same tables from a collection of several dozens of winemaking books – professional, academic, and home winemaking.
I’ll give you two perspectives: 1) practical, and 2) academic/theoretical. I’ll start with #1 because that’s what I recommend. Sorry for the lengthy answer, but you’ll appreciate the explanations.
#1
The reasons why we care about Brix is i) to ensure we harvest when grapes are ripened to a desired concentration, and ii) that the potential alcohol (PA) is in our desired range. As a commercial winery operator, I look at Brix to HELP with a decision on when to harvest though we look at phenolic ripeness and flavors – that’s key. We almost never consider PA since that can be easily adjustment up in the cellar.
And with Brix, we simply use our hydrometer to make those decisions. The hydrometer is a tool to GUIDE us; it’s most inaccurate, particularly the cheaper models – there are precision hydrometers but they are really not worth it for our purpose) – because of the many, many dissolved solids in juice that will affect sugar readings. It’s a really rough estimate. And whether the reading is 23.5 instead of 23.4, over even 23.0, doesn’t matter.
Since that’s the tool we use, stick to it to guide your winemaking and sugar additions.
PA is just a rough estimate and that’s part of the reason why we, commercial wineries, are allowed as much as +/-1.5% on the alcohol declaration on the label. So you really need not lose sleep over Brix. Just concern yourself with ripeness.
#2
Based on what I said in #1, many people want to know the sort of “real” Brix in juice – not the measured value knowing that it’s just an estimate. My table is based on the calculation PA = (Brix x 0.55) – 0.63, and this is a closer approximation to what’s in the juice and why I choose this as the basis of my table.
So a Brix of 24.8 would give a PA of 13.0% alc/vol. Some people even simplify this formula by dropping the subtraction so they can do a quick, mental calculation, i.e. 24.8 Brix gives 13.6%. Some simplify further by simply dividing by 2, i.e. 24.8 B gives 12.4%.
So you can see why it is easy to give a fairly wide range of values.
Hope this helps.
#59 by AlbanyCellarRat - February 22nd, 2010 at 19:47
Dan thanks for responding, it is appreciated.
#60 by bobbler - March 7th, 2010 at 02:57
I love your book (bought yours and “home winemaking step by step;
will probably throw it away).. The contrast was night and day; I was able to understand what to do..
My first batch; white wine.. Looking to save $$ on stuff where I can..
PH METER:
How important is having a PH meter (for my first batch)? I am a perfectionist at heart, but all the equipment is adding up ($$$).. How often do I need to test PH (I may be able to borrow one)..
GRAPES:
Where can I get good grapes; frozen of fresh (Atlanta GA 30084).. I was thinking of buying a pail of frozen grapes here:
http://www.brehmvineyards.com/ (but with shipping its almost $200).
Given up on the french OAK barrel for the first batch, LOL.. I plan on using glass carboys.. I read about the non bisphemol_A plastic, but there area lways more chemicals in plastics..
ARGON:
I am concerned about topping off after racking.. Can I just squirt a few seconds of argon (or one of those 3 gas mixtures) in, instead of adding water? Seems like the gas would be the best; wondering if there is a down side..
PRESS:
Which one to get? Another $200 purchase I may use only 1 time (I hope this is not the case).. Are there any good alternatives to do this job without a press (5 gallons).. Otherwise, what is a good one to buy?
bobbler
#61 by Daniel - March 7th, 2010 at 14:58
Re pH Meter:
It depends on what you use as must, i.e. concentrate/kit, prepared fresh juice, raw fresh juice, grapes. For the first two, you usually don’t need to measure the pH as the producer has verified/adjusted all parameters (TA, pH, etc.) for trouble-free winemaking. With fresh juice and grapes, you need to know the pH in case it is high/low, and your sulfite additions should also follow pH readings.
Good luck.
Re plastic carboys:
See the section on PET containers in my book; they are completely safe as long as they are “pure” PET.
Re Argon:
Yes, absolutely. This is a common practice in commercial wineries. Be sure to “squirt” long enough to displace all the air out, usually a few seconds but this depends on the amount of headspace in your carboy. I would not leave the wine with gas for an “indefinite” period of time as there are always some risks.
Re Press:
If your winemaking involves grapes, you need a press. Buy a good press suited to your budget and winemaking volume. Be sure to consider your future volumes – it tends to grow quickly on you. If you don’t want to invest $$ in equipment that you’ll be using only once in a year, consider sharing the purchase with fellow winemakers or join a club.
Re Grapes:
I don’t know sources in GA, but anything from Brehm is good and reliable. Try and contact wine clubs in your area; they’ll be more than happy to provide with good sources – and you may even want to order through them to save on freight.
#62 by glenn - March 12th, 2010 at 21:23
this distributor has good frozen must and shipping is $30 per pail, 15 shipping and 15 to pack in styrofoam encase box. Ordered 3 pails and was able to come out with 11 gallons after free run and pressing.
#63 by Neil - March 13th, 2010 at 06:45
Glenn,
Which distributor are you referring to? The price you quoted is very good. Do you have any idea as to the quality/origin of the must?
#64 by Daniel - March 13th, 2010 at 09:44
He’s referring to http://www.juicegrape.com
#65 by Neil - March 13th, 2010 at 10:22
Daniel,
Is there anyone in Canada that offers a similar service?
Cheers.
Neil
#66 by Daniel - March 13th, 2010 at 12:26
Um! Not offhand. All the ones I know are cash-and-carry. Try Bosa Grapes out in BC.
#67 by Neil - March 14th, 2010 at 09:32
Hi Daniel,
I’ve got 6 gallons of New York Muscat which has fermented dry. It started out very acidic with pH 2.9 and TA ~ 12 g/l. The brix was good at about 22, and so I did not chaptilize. I fermented using a french yeast known as ML-01, which is supposed to to the alc ferment and ML at the same time. It is not supposed to give the buttery diacetyl from traditional MLF, and so (hopefully) preserves the precious aromatics of a muscat. It has just finished cold stabilizing, and has been racked of the tartrate crystals. It is still very acidic for my papate…the pH pre CS was ok at 3.3; I haven’t redone the TA, but will do so.
Bench trails with sugar over Indian food very encouraging. The acid was beautifully balanced out with just a bit of residual sweetness, and the aromatics were excellent. How do you think I should go about sweeting the enitre batch? I was thinking about adding some sorbate and then sweeting with sugar, but was a bit concerned about the Geranium taint you can get when ML bacteria get their hands on Sorbate. I don’t think ML-01 will do the same, but don’t really know. What about lactose…It isn’t supposed to be fermentable. I don’t easily have access to sterile filtration. We aren’t interested in trying sugar substitues, as most of them have an artifical flavour.
Thanks for you help.
Cheers!
Neil
#68 by Daniel - March 14th, 2010 at 09:54
Hi Neil,
First thing is to perform a paper chromatography test to confirm that MLF has indeed run to completion; it the test is negative, then you should let the MLF finish, though I imagine it would be “stuck” at this stage.
If the wine is still too acidic, there are ways of reducing acidity depending on what you feel comfortable doing. If the MLF had not completed, there is still some bracing malic acid present, which can be reduced using double-salt precipitation without the need to restart the MLF.
I find that the best way to tame the acidity is by adding some sugar – table sugar is just fine. I’m not suggesting to make the wine sweet but rather just enough sugar to reduce that acidity. You can find the right balance by doing bench trials; for example, try adding 5, 10, 15 g/L and then zero in on a rate based on what you like. Once you’ve found the right balance, you can add sugar to the entire batch.
I wouldn’t add sorbate. Be sure to sulfite judiciously. You may want to consider using some lysozyme.
Daniel
#69 by Mike - May 7th, 2010 at 19:29
Hello Daniel: I have both your books, and have been devouring “Techniques” again as I’m getting ready to get Malbec juice in from Chile. I am planning a winemaking/storage room in my basement and am unsure as what to do for a vapor barrier and insulation in the ceiling. I have 2″x12″ joists with electrical and plumbing through the joists in different areas, as well as a shutoff for an exteior faucet I have to contend with. My big question is how to apply the vapor barrier. I’ve read not to wrap the joists, wrap the joists, faced batting that will serve as a vapor barrier…. Any hints or suggestions? I wonder if using foil backed rigid insulation laid accross the joists will work? The only problem there is my ceiling is very low, so I don’t want to drop the height too low. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks, Mike
#70 by Daniel - May 8th, 2010 at 08:53
Hi Mike: From your description, I assume that your basement is under some living area, in which, heat transfer between the two level is not as great a concern as if the winemaking room was under a balcony, for example. That was my situation and it required some serious insulation work. All you need to do is insert pink insulation in between the joists, install a polyethylene vapor barrier, and finish with drywal, preferably the water-proof (green) kind. You can paint the drywal with a water and mildew-resistant, odorless paint. That’s the easiest and cheapest, and only add a half inch to height loss. Hope this helps.
Daniel
#71 by Mike - May 8th, 2010 at 09:36
Thanks for the info, Daniel. yes, there is heated space above. Would my best bet be to staple the vapor barrier to the bottom of the joists, then attach the green board as usual? Someone suggested using a drop ceiling, which may work w/o lowering the ceiling height too much. I have to do some research to see how a drop would handle the moisture of the cellar. Thanks for all the advice here and in the books.
Regards,
Mike
#72 by Daniel - May 8th, 2010 at 09:57
Yes, just staple the vapor barrier to the joists and screw drywall sheets right over it. Not sure why a drop-ceiling would be better here. I don’t recommend it. The pink insulation also reduces noise and vibrations from above. It’s the cheapest, most expedient and efficient solution for your situation.
Daniel
#73 by Mike - May 8th, 2010 at 10:32
Thinking about it a little more, I was originally thinking of insulating the spaces between the joists. If I staple the vapor barrier to the joists, the insultaion would be behind the vapor barrier, closer to the warm side of the space. That seems a little backwards, or am I missing something (I tend to do that alot)?
Mike
#74 by Daniel - May 8th, 2010 at 10:47
Your temperature difference between the two levels won’t be as big as to warrant a vapor barrier, under normal circumstances; however, you will be working with a lot of water in your winery, and that will create a lot of water vapor. The barrier is to protect that on the basement side. See? It all makes sense.
#75 by Mike - May 8th, 2010 at 12:49
Well, the temp in the wine cellar will be 55 deg F., hopefully, so there will be a significant temperature difference between upstairs and down. I guess I’m confused reading different info where some say to put the barrier on the “warm”of the room, others on the cool, or wine cellar side of the room (inside the insulation). Knowing that insulation batts get damaged by moisture, it would seem better to have the barrier between the insulation and the green board. Man, this gets more confusing the more ya think about it.
#76 by Daniel - May 8th, 2010 at 13:38
You’re worrying too much. The reality is that is not much of a temperature difference. When it’s below freezing outside and room temperature, that’s when condensation can become a problem. As to the drop-ceiling, personally, I don’t like them, but that’s for you to decide based on the amount of access you need or will need in the future. I had only one valve that I never use, so I installed gypsum boards with a trap door. Easy enough.
#77 by bobbler - May 8th, 2010 at 13:21
The drop ceiling would be better where plaster board would cover up utility access (elec access, shut off valves, etc.. all common in basements)..
bobbler